Ebers kindling thread

[Ebers]

I guess her milk has started coming in because I only had to feed 4 of the 9 kits tonight the other 5 were nice & plump... hopefully she'll feed them all in the next few days

 

[Pastor Dave]

I had a first time doe that didn't come into her full milk for two weeks. At first the kits seemed healthy, but as they required more milk/nutrition they began withering away. I would take the kit and try to hold another of my lactating does to get it to nurse, but really none of the attempts worked. They seemed interested in finding the teat, but then acted too weak to suck.
A litter of seven became two.

Ironically, the other lactating doe developed mastitis and I had to begin administering penicillin. The young were the same age as other set, and were going to die. So, I placed them with the doe that came into her milk late. The whole group survived.

How were you hand feeding? Little bottles from the vet and goat's milk, or something else?

Thanks, Dave

 

[Ebers]

She has milk but she wasn't feeding her kits so I held the doe & my wife held the kits on her while they ate... the kits are 5 days old now & it looks like she's starting to feed them on her own there were only 4 that looked skinny last night when we fed them

 

[Bunnylady]

My favorite trick for does that aren't feeding is to put the nest box in a carrier that is only slightly bigger than the box, put the doe in the nest box, and close the lid on the carrier. I stay close, because if the doe starts jumping around and stamping, kits can get injured or killed, but mostly I just let things proceed normally. Sometimes the doe starts things off by nosing at the kits, and sometimes the kits just notice her because she's stirring around, but healthy kits usually go looking when they know momma's there. Most of the time, once the kits find her, the doe will stand still. When the kits are full, they retreat to the front of the box, and I remove the doe.

Some of my does have needed several of these lessons, but most have only needed this treatment once or twice for them to figure out what they need to do, even if I am taking the nest boxes into the house at night.

 

[Ebers]

My favorite trick for does that aren't feeding is to put the nest box in a carrier that is only slightly bigger than the box, put the doe in the nest box, and close the lid on the carrier. I stay close, because if the doe starts jumping around and stamping, kits can get injured or killed, but mostly I just let things proceed normally. Sometimes the doe starts things off by nosing at the kits, and sometimes the kits just notice her because she's stirring around, but healthy kits usually go looking when they know momma's there. Most of the time, once the kits find her, the doe will stand still. When the kits are full, they retreat to the front of the box, and I remove the doe.

Some of my does have needed several of these lessons, but most have only needed this treatment once or twice for them to figure out what they need to do, even if I am taking the nest boxes into the house at night.

I have a pet carrier about that size I'll try that tonight thanks @Bunnylady

 

[Ebers]

Well good news.... all the kits were nice & fat, she's feeding them on her own now I'm super happy about it lol

 

[Ebers]

Velvet & her 10 new babies... she's the 1st doe outa the last 5 to kindle that actually pulled fur, she's a pedigreed black new zealand & the buck was my big Californian, she has 5 white & 5 black

 

[promiseacres]

Congratulations

 

[Ebers]

My purebred californian rabbits had their 1st litter yesterday Anna is the 1st of 3 cali does I have kindling in the next couple wks

 

[Shorty]

Congrats!